Joseph ridge



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. RIDGE. VESTIBULE GAR.

Patented Jan. 7, 1890.

PETERS, Pnmuu mpm Washinginn. n c;

( N 0 M 0 d e 1 2 S h e 8 t S S h e e t 2.

EEEEEEEEEEE R.

I ,I H IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII i III' I I I III IIIII I I I I .IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Ill "I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIII :5 h

I v 1 III I m !l IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I I .l I I I III!IIILIIIIIIIIII "I I. I I IIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIII" IIIIIIIIIII" UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH RIDGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT RANSOM, OF SAME PLACE.

VESTlBULE-CARI SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,929, dated January 7, 1890. Application filed October 10, 1889. Serial No. 326,621, (No model.)

.To caZZ whom it may concern: and as a convenient means of attachinga su- Be it known that I, JOSEPH RIDGE, of Ohiperstructive portion, as hereinafter set forth. cago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, This portion consists chiefly of a plate or have invented new and useful Improvements frame at, extending from the buffer to the top in Cars, of which the following is a descripof the car, or approximately so. These plates 55 tion. have their lower ends attached to a rocker E, My invention relates to ends of cars wherewhich is pivotally supported on a curved or in the coupling of one car with another unsemi-ellipticalspring F, the pivot being shown der the requirements affords advantages over at b, centrally of the rocker, in such manner that obtained as cars are usually constructed. that the latter may have an oscillating action 60 These features relate, first, to so uniting one while the spring is restrained as to such moveend of a car with the end of another car that ment. an inclosed passage-way between the cars is At or near the upper portion of plate a are the result. Another feature, perhaps quite provided on one side a slot 01 and on the other T 5 as important, is to restrain lateral play of the a pin or stud e. These are designed to lock 65 cars when in rapid motion. Another feature plates of adjacent ends of cars. As evident,

is to prevent as much as practicable the imif cars are constructed the same with referpact of one car against another. ence to this feature of my invention, any car I am aware that vestibule-cars are in use in will interlock with any other-that is, the which the advantages above outlined are said pins or apertures will alternate throughout a 70 to obtain, and, inameasure, itis no doubt true. train, and thereby adapt the end of one to It is, however, important to improve these that of another. features of a train of cars. For example, llerein I design to restrain oscillation of plates attached to the buffers of the cars that cars when traveling. As evident, when the extend to the roofs of the latter and supported plates a of two cars interlock, the cars may 75 against impact by springs located in the suhave lateral movement under restraint of perstructure are in use, well known. This springs F. These may be made of any desired construction, while an inclosure is well obstrength or of any form that will operate to tained between cars, does not to a suitable subdue lateral oscillation. The slots (1 are degree, by friction, which is depended upon, elongated vertically to allow for any varia- 8o restrain lateral play of the cars. To obtain tion of that kind which may occur between better results in the matter of oscillation I coupled cars. The plates a need not necesresort to springs. sarily have breadth of surface as buffers in By reference to the drawings, Figure l is a which the face of a plate on one car bears 3 5 side elevation showingportions of two coupled against that of the one on the adjacent car, 8 5 cars, with portions broken away to expose but may be constructed so that its breadth mechanism. Fig. 2 is a top view with mechcoincides with the cars length, or in any deanism exposed. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, sired shape, it the locking of adjacent ones and Fig. 4 a detail View. be provided for. It is desirable, if the plates The solid vestibule built upon the platform are not in actual contact, for reasons herein- 90 of the car, in which the projecting roof of the after shown, that there should be intermediate latter forms the top andhaving entrance-doors means of bracing between the two, which, in A, may conform to those of well-known conthis example of the construction of plate, may struction. The buffer-plate B at the front of be done by shoulders on the pins or studs 6 5 the platform,with springs O to back it, is also to engage the sides of the slots (1. By this 5 designed to be the same or similar to those in means they assist the buffer B in its function common use. The foot-plate D, which moves of preventing contact between platforms. To with the buffer to bridge the space between aid in this respect, I have provided bars I, 10- platforms of adjacent cars, I show as a part cated at the roof of the car and within the of the buffer-plate Wherebyto obtain strength vestibule, preferably, that have a sliding I00 the vestibule, as shown in Fig. 1.

movement longitudinally in bearings J, and so arranged that their outer ends bear against plate a near its top. These bars are actuated by means of levers and weights in the presentexample. To bring their outer ends more centrally of the plate a at its upper portion, and at the same time not interfere with a lamp in the dome of the vestibule, an angle is formed, as illustrated.

In the ends of the car, within the walls thereof, vertical channels V, for the reception and accommodation of weights W and levers u, are provided. Pivotal provision t is made for lever u. A connection is made between lever u and the bars I by an interposed lever b, which is pivoted at its angle to the side of One end of lever b resting upon the inner end of lever u, and its upper end bearing against the inner end of bar I, makes it apparent that when said lever on is actuated upon its pivot 25 by the weight W bar I is forced forward against plate a. As the bars I arefixed as to lateral movement and the plate a in its lateral oscillation plays across them, rollers are provided in their ends to prevent friction. The inner ends of said bars are bifurcated for the better security and accommodation of the ends of levers b and are also provided with anti-friction rollers. A flexible portion M between the plate a and the end of the car is supplied to complete an inclosure between cars which has sufficient fullness to permit the lateral movement of the car with relation to said plate. The spiral springs n, shown just beneath the car-roof, that are fastened to the latter and to plates a, have their tension inwardly, and are designed to support the flexible portion M, and also to steady the frame-plate. In the event that the frames are set back from the faces of the buffers B and have interposed braces between two adjacent frames near their upper portions, whereby, as previously mentioned, space occurs, flanges equal to such space or greater may be applied to the faces or edges of said frames projecting forward and in extent equal to one-half that of the frame that is, from the center of the latter at the top to the bottom and on corresponding sides. Thus when frames are brought together one will be a counterpart of the other, as in the case of the apertures 01 and studs e, thereby closing the entire space between cars. For such flanges flexible self-expanding material would perhaps be preferable.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the platformbufier of a car, of a frame or archedplate adapted to form the margin of a passage-way between cars that is so pivotally mounted upon said bufier as to permit oscillation, the latter being restrained by springs, substantially as set forth.

2. On each of adjacent cars coupled together, frames or plates extending to the roof of the car, or approximately so, that are re spectively pivotally supported upon the buffers, with restraining force between a buffer and frame to aid in restoring a normal condition under oscillating movement, said frames or plates having provision for interlocking one with another.

3-. The combination, in adjacent cars coupled together, of plates or frames at, that are provided with interlocking devices to connect one with the other, and so pivotally mounted, respectively, on the buffers with spring-connections as to permit oscillation under restraint.

4. The combination, with the platformbuffer of a car, of a frame reaching to the roof of the car, or approximately so, that is so pivotally connected with said buifer as to permit lateral oscillation under restraint of springs, and is backed by a bar or bars projecting from the superstructure of the car, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with frame-plate a, having lateral oscillation under spring restraint and connected with buffer B, of the bar or bars 1, weight W, and a lever or system of levers actuated by said weight and operating against the bars to resist inward pressure against said plate a, substantially as set forth.

JOSEPH RIDGE.

Witnesses:

COREY A. KENNEDY, MATTHEW L. MARKER. 

